Posted on December 11, 2024

The X Files: The White Man’s OJ Simpson

Gregory Hood, American Renaissance, December 11, 2024

Daniel Penny is free. He was on trial for restraining Jordan Neely, a black man who was threatening people on the subway. Several people helped Mr. Penny, but Neely died soon after. It may not be accurate to say even that he accidentally killed him, because Mr. Neely was evidently alive when police arrived.

Events late last week did not look good. A hung jury typically results in a mistrial, but when the jury could not come to a verdict on a count of manslaughter, the judge agreed to the prosecution’s request to allow it to consider criminally negligent homicide. It looked like a blatant attempt by a blue-state judge to work with a blue-state district attorney to convict Mr. Penny of something, no matter what.

This was the prosecutor.

The tactic failed. The jury acquitted him on the lesser charge, which means he is free.

The late Mr. Neely had a long criminal record, was homeless, and was yelling at people on the subway. ABC News reported he was simply suffering a “mental health crisis.” If so, it had been going on for a very long time.

He had 42 prior arrests, an active warrant out for a 2021 incident, and a long history of attacks on subway riders. This included punching a woman in the face and exposing his privates to riders. He failed to complete an alternative-to-prison program designed to allow more leniency, but he was left free to roam. Neely explicitly stated “I will kill” during the fatal incident. Of course, all this does not disqualify Neely from being another civil rights hero. Such depravity did not disqualify Michael Brown, George Floyd, or others.

However, the verdict shows people may be tired of such antics. It was not only Mr. Penny who was helping to restrain Neely, nor was he without defenders. Other passengers said that they were afraid of Neely, and these included other non-whites. Still, there was an undeniable racial angle in this case, with a law-abiding former Marine who looks like the sculpture of The Dying Gaul putting down a criminal who should not have been free. It was a classic case of what our society’s values should be, compared to what they are.

Naturally, after Mr. Penny was set free, Black Lives Matter mysteriously became active again. This could be a harbinger for the second Trump Administration.

Separation is the solution, and it is what they say they want.

BLM says the departed criminal had “infinite worth,” like all blacks.

What exactly is that judgment based on?

The press conference after the trial also featured threats by Jordan Neely’s family and their supporters. “It’s a small world, buddy,” said Neely’s uncle to Mr. Penny. The uncle, Hawk Newsome, continued his tantrum outside the courthouse, calling for “black vigilantes” to rise against oppression and saying that racists should burn in hell.

A civil lawsuit filed by Mr. Neely’s family, who did not seem to be very concerned while he was homeless and terrorizing people, is pending.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says that locking up Mr. Penny would make subways safer.

Several blacks in Congress were also upset.

The outgoing congressman makes a revealing admission when he says who “my people” are.

Some left-leaning authors and influencers joined in the performative outrage.

The “Community Note” on the latter post points out that Neely was offered such healthcare — but he refused it.

Some reactions from various blacks and leftists:

The NAACP:

The Community Note above is a welcome addition.

Yet overall, the response is muted. Black Lives Matter simply doesn’t have the kind of energy it once did, though the protests are likely to gin up again once President Trump is back in power. If even a deep blue New York City jury wanted to free Daniel Penny, that is a hopeful sign. If President Trump crushes BLM, he may win even more support.

The case is essentially the white man’s OJ Simpson Trial – except Mr. Penny actually did not do anything wrong. Many leftists seem to believe it is an inherent right to threaten people and cause chaos on public transportation, at least if you are black. Hopefully, they have now learned otherwise. We do not have to live like this.

About Gregory Hood

View all posts by Gregory Hood
Mr. Hood is a staff writer for American Renaissance. He has been active in conservative groups in the US. You can follow him on Gab.